Risk factors for asthma and other allergic diseases in seasonal rhinitis.
BACKGROUND
Rhinitis and asthma are common comorbidities. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for asthma and other allergic diseases in seasonal rhinitis (SR) patients.


METHODS
Records of 922 patients diagnosed as SR between 1991 and 2005 were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were grouped according to the results of our standard skin prick tests as follows: I-No sensitization: no sensitization to any allergen; II-Mono-pollen sensitization: sensitization to only one pollen allergen; III-Poly-pollen sensitization: sensitization to more than one pollen allergen; IV-Mite sensitization: sensitization to mite with or without any other allergen sensitization.


RESULTS
The mean age of the patients was 29.5 +/- 9.6 and 587 patients (63.2%) were females. Age at onset of SR was median 21 years (16-29 years). Of the 922 patients, 99 had no sensitization, 335 had poly-pollen sensitization, 346 had mono-pollen sensitization, and 142 had mite sensitization. The most prevalent allergens were P. pratense (85.3%) and O. europae (31.5%). No sensitization group as compared to poly-pollen sensitization group had significantly higher prevalence of asthma as a single accompanying disease (14.1%, p < 0.05). Mono-pollen sensitization was significantly associated with lower risk of any accompanying allergic disease (OR: 0.7, 95% CI 0,5-0,9) while no sensitization group (OR: 2.8, 95% CI 1.3-5.9) and mite sensitization were associated with asthma (OR: 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.4).


CONCLUSIONS
SR is a condition that presents with different phenotypes. The group with no sensitization and mite sensitization has the highest prevalence of asthma while SR patients with mono-pollen sensitization are unlikely to have an accompanying allergic disease, including asthma.
Celikel
Serhat
S
Department of Chest Diseases, Adult Allergy Unit, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. scelikel@gmail.com
Isik
Sacide Rana
SR
Demir
Ahmet Ugur
AU
Karakaya
Gul
G
Kalyoncu
Ali Fuat
AF
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012882:Skin Tests; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000485:Allergens